This invention relates to a return envelope for a mailer and, more particularly, to a return envelope especially suited for relatively small mailers. The type of mailer with which the instant invention is concerned can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,104,799 and 3,777,971. These devices are more properly stuffed sealed envelope assemblies and have come into popular vogue in the last decade. Literally millions of these mailers are processed every year by stepping the same through computer printers so that invoicing information and the like can be applied to the interior of the mailer without the need for manual handling, stuffing, sealing, stamping, etc.
Conventionally, the mailers are provided in a continuous stream or series of connected stuffed sealed envelopes equipped with control margins along the longitudinally extending edges to manufacture and process the mailers. As the final stages of manufacture, the assemblies are zig-zag folded and delivered to a customer whose computer provides the various assemblies with the proper information. Over the years a variety of sizes of mailers, more particularly, mailers having different "lengths" have been produced. By the term "length" I refer to the dimension extending parallel to the path of travel, i.e., parallel to the control margins. Hence, it will be appreciated that the final envelope assembly or mailer may have a transverse dimension longer than the so-called "length" but it is with the "length" dimension which has created the problem of providing suitable return envelopes.
In mailers with short form lengths such as 32/3, 4, 41/4, etc., (under 51/2 inches generally), the return envelope that can be included within the mailer is too small for the user to conveniently insert a check. This condition is equally true for both side-open or top-open return envelopes. As a result, it is often necessary to sell a longer mailer form to a customer than would otherwise be necessary -- in order to have room enough to include a satisfactory return envelope. This alternative results in a more costly mailer form, one that requires more computer time for processing -- and mailers that are considerably larger than regular mail, which results in more abuse in their handling in the mails. For one thing, these stick up higher when included in a pack of regular mail. One alternative is to provide a mailer without a return envelope which results in a failure to meet the business system requirements.
The purpose of the instant invention is to provide a top opening return envelope (preferred by most people because of the ease of check insertion) within the mailer form that is large enough to conveniently accept the document to be returned, typically a check, and that can be fit into a space inside the outgoing mailer that is smaller than the desired size of the return envelope.
The object of the invention is accomplished by making the return envelope of a front and back ply both formed from continuous webs of paper (or the like) at the same time the mailer is being assembled. The return envelope is thus made "on line". The back ply is made as a conventional inside ply of the mailer but the front ply is longer than the normal inside plies but not longer than twice as long. The front ply is folded across the width of the web to provide a flap, the flap being larger than a normal envelope flap so as to be foldable along a line of potential folding between the free edge of the flap and the fold line so as to develop a return envelope having a significantly larger check-receiving pocket.
Other objects and advantages of the invention may be seen in the details of construction, operation and use as set forth in the ensuing specification.